My newest acquisition, and my first Suhl trainer....these are pre cleanup pics when I got her home today. Came with a K98 sling on her..... What year of production would this be? Chris...
Suhl DSM34
- Thread starter ChrisG43
- Start date
WreckTangle
Mad Dog 20/20 Connoisseur (RIP Brother 06-05-203)
That's a really nice looking Waffenstadt. From the pictures it looks like it is in excellent condition. How is the receiver blued verse the barrel, different shades? Waffenstadts were stamped with the years they were produced above the Waffenstadt crest...except the 1936s rifles which did not have a date above the logo. Your rifle is the "DSM-36" variation which is not an official designation, but almost all manufactures of the DSM-34s made some changes to the design after Mauser (who was the manufacture that came up with the DSM-34 design and licensed other company's to produce it) modified the DSM-34 with some minor changes like the altering the face of the bolt and the ejection port being smoothed out, Mauser's "DSM-36" has a gas ejection port on the left of the receiver.
To answer your question, it's estimated from serial number studies that roughly 11,000 Waffenstadt's were produced by the consortium. The last reported serial in Simpson's Trainer book (get it if you can its an amazing resource which some of our forum members contributed to) lists the last serial observed at 10732 while yours is a close 10421. Also, on page 207 he has a chart where it lists serial numbers vs dates and states roughly 458 rifles were produced a moth. If Simpson's estimation is correct, yours would fall somewhere between Jan. and March 1936. My guess is yours being so close to the last observed serial places it would have been produced around late February or early March 1936.
I'm still a newbie to collecting trainers, so I might have some of my info wrong. Some of the more experienced collections might chime in.
BYW, if you take the receiver out of the stock there should be 2 CGH stamps in the channel along with a 3 digit number that should match the handguard, this is subcontractor's marks that supplied the stocks to Waffenstadt and these markings only have been observed in Waffenstadt rifles. I'd say you did pretty darn good scoring that Waffenstadt it's in really good condition, any one of us would be happy to take it off your hands, wink wink PM me.
To answer your question, it's estimated from serial number studies that roughly 11,000 Waffenstadt's were produced by the consortium. The last reported serial in Simpson's Trainer book (get it if you can its an amazing resource which some of our forum members contributed to) lists the last serial observed at 10732 while yours is a close 10421. Also, on page 207 he has a chart where it lists serial numbers vs dates and states roughly 458 rifles were produced a moth. If Simpson's estimation is correct, yours would fall somewhere between Jan. and March 1936. My guess is yours being so close to the last observed serial places it would have been produced around late February or early March 1936.
I'm still a newbie to collecting trainers, so I might have some of my info wrong. Some of the more experienced collections might chime in.
BYW, if you take the receiver out of the stock there should be 2 CGH stamps in the channel along with a 3 digit number that should match the handguard, this is subcontractor's marks that supplied the stocks to Waffenstadt and these markings only have been observed in Waffenstadt rifles. I'd say you did pretty darn good scoring that Waffenstadt it's in really good condition, any one of us would be happy to take it off your hands, wink wink PM me.
mauser99
Senior Member
To me these are the pinnacle of WSS Suhl production as far as fit and finish. The bolt should be numbered on the bottom flat . I own one similar and it has the SOLD BD marking on the left disc. IS the left disc marked ?
All the info given above is up to date with Bob's book being out and I'm not sure its in dispute...
Again, great find and thanks for sharing !
All the info given above is up to date with Bob's book being out and I'm not sure its in dispute...
Again, great find and thanks for sharing !
WreckTangle
Mad Dog 20/20 Connoisseur (RIP Brother 06-05-203)
I agree, the bluing on this Waffenstadt reminds me of the finish on my Colt Snake guns--absolutely stellar.
On my Waffenstadt SN: 6486, the bluing is different between the barrel and the receiver. The barrel is the typical trainer blue, however, in the light the receiver is a lovely chocolate plum color. I've heard this is from the bluing interacting with different types of steel. Also, Waffenstadt was a consortium so they were sourcing and assembling some parts from other manufacturers.
I wonder if yours is the same. You have to look at it just right in the light.
Attachments
Last edited: